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Alabama takes weekend series with UGA softball with 6-4 victory

The No. 12 Georgia softball team took a 6-4 loss Saturday in the rubber game of its three-game series with No. 2 Alabama at Jack Turner Stadium.

Junior Tess Sito, along with freshmen Paige Wilson and Anna Swafford, led Georgia (35-12, 13-9) with two hits each, as Sito and Wilson went 2-for-4 on the afternoon and Swafford 2-for-2. Wilson and Swafford also added an RBI apiece while senior Kristyn Sandberg tallied two. As a team, Georgia outhit Alabama 10-7.

Senior Erin Arevalo (19-5) took the loss after giving up seven hits and striking out seven. Alabama’s Amanda Locke (3-0) earned the win, as she gave up all 10 hits and struck out five. Jackie Traina notched her second save of the season after coming in to grab the last out of the game.

With one out in the top of the third, Locke sent a home run over the left-center-field wall to make it a 2-0. Georgia’s Swafford then opened the home half of the fifth inning with a solo shot to put the score at 2-1.

The Tide came out in the seventh inning to add four runs, including back-to-back home runs. Kayla Braud reached on a fielder’s choice before advancing on a stolen base and groundout. Locke then singled up the middle to score Braud and make it 3-1. A two-run home run by Jazlyn Lunceford followed by a Cassie Reilly-Boccia homer capped off the inning for Alabama and gave them a 6-1 lead.

Georgia rallied in the bottom frame of the seventh, but fell just short of a comeback. Swafford again started the inning with a hit, as a single to left gave the Bulldogs a baserunner. Sito then reached on a fielder’s choice with Swafford out at second before making her way to second on a groundout. Wilson then powered a double down the right field line to add a run by Sito. Sandberg tacked on two more runs with a homer to right center to end the game at 6-4.

Georgia returns to action at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against Kennesaw State at 6:30 p.m.